[BOISE, ID] – Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced that Bryan Hayhurst, 39, was convicted of 1 count of Misrepresentation to Obtain Unemployment Insurance Benefits, which is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Hayhurst was sentenced on November 19, 2025, by Ada County Judge Peter Barton.
“Fraud and abuse in taxpayer-funded programs cannot be ignored,” said Attorney General Labrador. “This crime undermines the goal of helping those who are unemployed and need temporary assistance. I’m grateful for the investigators and prosecutor who protected the people’s tax dollars and the integrity of this program.”
An investigation by the Unemployment Insurance and Compliance section of the Idaho Department of Labor revealed that Hayhurst had submitted false information to obtain unemployment benefits. For 11 weeks, from April 2020 through July 2020, Hayhurst submitted weekly certifications to the Idaho Department of Labor claiming that he had not worked when he had worked and earned wages for that work. As a result of Hayhurst’s misrepresentations, the Idaho Department of Labor paid Hayhurst full unemployment insurance benefits.
Judge Barton sentenced Hayhurst to a total of 5 years in prison, with 2 years fixed and 3 years indeterminate. Judge Barton ordered Hayhurst to pay restitution in the amount of $16,086.08 to the Idaho Department of Labor.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Marian Swanberg.